


solidarity

by jangjoos



Category: Golden Child (Korea Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-14 01:50:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13583457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jangjoos/pseuds/jangjoos
Summary: what would you do if you were the last man on earth?





	solidarity

The world seems empty, but Donghyun hopes it’s not.

Likely wishful thinking, he thinks as Jibeom marks the three hundred and sixty fifth tally on Jaehyun’s water bottle. That’s three hundred and sixty five days of being completely alone. The chances of finding anyone else just kept slimming- the world was massive, though it had seemed so small when filled to the brim with people. And yet, this hope was the only thing that kept them going, the only thing that motivated them to stay alive while everything else seemed so meaningless.

“We need more supplies,” Joochan says, pointing to what looked like a shopping centre nearby. “I think we’ve scanned the entire city at this point. We’ll move on after this.”

Donghyun nods. Had it been an earlier time, he may have questioned him, but nobody argues with Joochan nowadays; he’s proven multiple times that he knows what the hell he’s doing.

Jibeom hands Jaehyun back his water bottle, while Donghyun searches his bag for another object to leave behind, hoping that the thing would serve as a sign of life for anyone who happens to pass by here. This time, he leaves behind a book they found in the last city, a book about coping with loneliness and depression. On the inside of the cover, he had written _googoos were here, anyone out there?_ in blue pen.

Donghyun looks around one more time, at the alleyway they had called home for a short while, yet seemed like eternity. They’ve left behind a book, some charred wood, and a few empty cans of soup.

“Let’s go,” Jaehyun affirms, and they all stand up.

It wasn’t a long walk, but the four of them were already very emotionally tired. There was a grocery store, but all the fresh food and produce had long spoiled. The place was absolutely infested with rodents and insects, although that was a bit of a common sight at this point. Joochan assigns them to look for different supplies, such as canned food and gasoline, and he tells them to search for signs of people as a secondary task. With this, their leader disappears somewhere to search for other things on his own.

Donghyun roams up and down the home aisles a few times, packing a few things into his bag along the way. A bit of time passes, but the building was only so big, and he encounters a softly crying Joochan leaning against a shelf on the canned food aisle.

Things get tough sometimes, he thinks, saying nothing as he holds their leader, their youngest in his arms. Donghyun feels every one of Joochan’s sobs.

Maybe the world was empty, but they won’t give up the hope that there was something, someone out there to look for. Joochan, Jibeom, Jaehyun, and Donghyun search for a reason to stay alive, relying on solidarity to keep them from falling apart.

\---

The world seems empty, but Jangjun thinks their lives don’t have to be.

They’ve found an amusement park. Of course, it was eerily empty at this point, but the place was in full operation at the time everyone suddenly disappeared. Youngtaek found a cotton candy machine, which, miraculously, was still operable. The three of them enjoy a snack.

“Look! It’s the same color as Seungminnie’s hair!” Jangjun points out, grinning. He reaches out and pats the younger on the head.

Seungmin pouts, but there’s a smile lying under his disgruntled expression.

“Guys, do you think the roller coaster works?” Youngtaek suddenly asks. The aforementioned structure loomed ahead of them, the cart stationed at the beginning and seemingly ready to go. Jangjun considers that for a moment. A roller coaster was the result of carefully considering the laws of physics and engineering, although it hadn’t been really long since the park went out of operation. His fingers prickled with unease as he realized that there were probably people playing here a year ago, just enjoying life and eating food, when suddenly...

“I don’t know, that seems a bit dangerous. It probably hasn’t been inspected or anything,” Seungmin says, nervously adjusting the straps on his travel pack.

They decide to do a test run. Turns out there’s minimal rust on the cart and track, and the ride seemed to run as good as new. The trio watches as the cart chugs along at an even pace, going up the multiple loops and then slowing down as it approaches the starting spot. Eventually, it’s agreed that Jangjun and Youngtaek would ride the roller coaster, but Seungmin would stay behind to operate.

Seungmin warns, “I won’t forgive you guys if you don’t come back,”

“We’ll be fine,” Jangjun insists, and the two of them boarded the cart. A minute later, the machine whirs to life.

Youngtaek screams and laughs the entire ride, while Jangjun yells catchphrases and throws his arms up at the peak of the roller coaster. In absolutely no time at all, the ride ends, and a smiling Seungmin waits for them at the bottom, holding their bags and treats.

Maybe the world was empty, but the three of them won’t pass up an opportunity to make the best out of the situation. Jangjun, Seungmin, and Youngtaek travel what was left of this world, seeking new experiences and adventure everywhere they went, doing everything they’ve always wanted to do.

\---

The world seems empty, but Sungyoon knows there’s still plenty to live for.

He wakes up early in the morning to the sound of gentle sizzling and familiar humming, the smell of breakfast being cooked, and the light of the sun in his eyes. Maybe it’s just his imagination, but he thinks that the sky looks a lot clearer these days. That’s one reason to keep going; waking up and being able to look at the blue sky with his loved ones.

Speaking of his loved ones, Jaeseok smiles at him when he goes downstairs, frying some sausages on their portable stove. Their appliances were the first things to stop working in their home, so they made do.

“Morning, dear,” Sungyoon greets him, and he catches him blush a little at the nickname. “Daeyeol and Bomin are still out?”

Jaeseok idly flips the sausages on the pan. “Yeah. They’ll be back soon, though. Help yourself to some soup.” He gestures to the bowls set next to the electric lamp on the table.

Electricity stopped working not long after the heating system bugged out. They remedied this by procuring a shit ton of battery powered things, and Sungyoon rather thought that they had an entire room stocked with propane gas canisters and AA batteries. Better safe than sorry, right?

It’s canned soup, but Jaeseok somehow makes everything he cooks, or even heats up, taste amazing.

Suddenly, the door creaks open. An excited Bomin tumbles into their little hovel. Daeyeol follows closely behind, carrying a large bag full of what looks like fireworks.

“Ah, you’re finally home,” Jaeseok places the plate of sausages onto the table, then unties his apron and hangs it neatly on the wall. “The food’s getting cold.”

“Jaeseok-hyung, you’re the best!” Bomin exclaims, sitting down to eat.

Daeyeol strolls into the room and stops in front of Sungyoon. He opens his arms, wrapping the younger into a tight embrace.

Sungyoon hugs him back. “Hyung, are we setting off fireworks today?”

“Yeah,” he replies. “Bomin wanted to. It’ll make him happy.”

Bomin. He’s still basically a kid, and for an entire year now, his happiness had been their biggest priority. Sungyoon knows that’s another reason they held on, stayed put and tried to be happy. Bomin is a lot braver than the three of them give him credit for, but they still feel the need to protect him, keep him smiling.

“I hope you took the quiet ones,” Sungyoon tells him wryly.

Maybe the world was empty, but their days certainly weren’t. There’s no denying that so many things were different now, but the least they could do was carry on, maintain the sense of normalcy that kept each one of them from breaking apart. Daeyeol, Sungyoon, Jaeseok, and Bomin keep each other happy, cracking jokes and staying together the best they can.

\---

That night, Donghyun tries to sleep, but he’s disturbed by a curious _boom_ echoing in the distance. It may have just been a faulty pipe, or a really annoying wild animal, but he decides to go investigate.

Everyone else is asleep. He takes care as not to disturb them, especially Joochan, and steps out of their makeshift shelter. He shivers as the cold air hit his skin, chilling him down to his very bones. As he hears another _boom_ in the distance, he faces upwards, turning his head towards the star-speckled sky.

Donghyun blinks. He didn’t know what he expected, but this wasn’t it. There were fireworks in the sky, an explosion of color for every muffled noise. At this moment, every drop of hope they’d harbored, every step they’ve walked in this empty world...It all seems worth it. He goes back inside.

“We're not alone,” he tells the three of them quietly, upon hearing them stir.

\---

That night, Jangjun chases a stray dog. Technically, all dogs were strays, but that was a trivial detail. Youngtaek and Seungmin were somewhere behind him, but that’s alright, they won’t get lost. According to the dog’s collar, his name is David, and David had run away after they fed him some of their precious beef jerky. What an ungrateful mutt.

The dog swerves into an alleyway, and Jangjun follows suit, almost crashing into one of the buildings.

“David!” He yells, “Get back here!”

But, to his surprise, David wasn’t running anymore. Jangjun halts in confusion as the dog slows to a leisurely walk.

He scans the dark alley, eyes squinting to make out the shadows. There seems to be something here. At this point, David faced him and sat down. Had the dog been leading him here?

As Jangjun walks closer, he almost trips on something on the ground. It was a book, a book in rather good condition, too. He picks it up, and scans the alleyway one more time.

It dawns on him. The book, the charred wood on the ground, the empty cans of soup. Someone, no, multiple someones had set up camp here. The world wasn’t empty at all-

Youngtaek runs into the alleyway, panting, Seungmin following close behind. Jangjun turns around to face them.

“We’re not alone,” he gasps, falling to his knees. He opens his mouth again, feeling an ecstatic scream rise in this throat, but it didn't matter.

\---

That night, the four of them sit around a fire. Daeyeol had an arm draped around Sungyoon’s shoulders while they watched Jaeseok and Bomin set off fireworks. It's nice.

A dog howls in the distance. It isn't a strange occurrence at this point, there are plenty of stray dogs. Sungyoon had considered taming one for Bomin, the latter who absolutely loves animals, but they hadn't really found the time to look for a dog.

But there's something else. The dog howled, but Sungyoon heard something else- no, some _one_ else.

Daeyeol tensed up next to him. “Do you think they're in trouble? That scream, that was pretty loud…” he mutters.

Sungyoon paused for a moment, then shook his head. “No...it sounded like joy. I think they saw our fireworks.”

Jaeseok stood up. “I'll go check it out, I think I heard where it came from.”

“Can I come with you, hyung?” Bomin asks, and he nods. They leave together, Sungyoon watching the two of them walk into the darkness.

With that, Daeyeol picks up a firework. “Let's keep setting these off. If there's one person around, there may be more. They might be able to find us.”

Thus, more explosions illuminated the sky. Sungyoon couldn't help but feel his heartbeat quicken. It's been almost a year, they've been completely alone. The people in the distance, they probably felt alone too. The four of them had each other, but now, realizing that the world wasn't empty after all changes everything, gives them hope. When one of the fireworks scatter to form a shape akin to a flower blooming in the springtime, he reaches for Daeyeol’s hand, gripping it tightly. Bomin and Jaeseok return with seven people and a dog they’ve found wandering the alleyways.

Maybe the world is empty, but Sungyoon believes that the eleven of them finding each other is living proof that the world is simply too wide for them to be completely alone.

**Author's Note:**

> this thing is kinda old at this point idk  
> so yeah there's a thing.  
> make sure to drop a comment and kudos if you like my writing!


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